Production supported the hiring of nearly 30 Native Americans
TULSA, Okla. — Another title supported by the Cherokee Film Incentive made its way to the box office this spring, showcasing one of the final performances of actor James Van Der Beek, alongside Mason Gooding, Algee Smith and Keith Powers.
Lionsgate presents “The Gates,” an Indy Entertainment & Core 4 Films production in association with Rebellium Films.
The project was a recipient of the Cherokee Film Incentive, designed to incentivize film and media projects to film within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation.
Production supported the hiring of nearly 30 Native Americans for the project’s development, pre-production, production and post-production phases.
“This film created opportunities for our talented local workforce to shine,” said Maggie Cunningham, senior manager of Cherokee Film Commission. “The Cherokee Nation Reservation continues to prove that it is film ready for projects of any size, offering unrivaled professionalism, support and hospitality.”
Written and directed by John Burr, “The Gates” follows three college students on a road trip gone wrong, as they take an ill-advised shortcut through a remote gated community, where they find themselves trapped behind the walls after witnessing a murder.
Over the course of the night, they find themselves blamed, hunted and fractured by their own differing belief systems, while the perpetrator, at his most charming and terrifying, emerges as the cunning patriarch who holds the entire community under his influence.
The film is now available to rent or buy on all major digital/VOD platforms.
Cherokee Nation was the first tribe to offer its own film incentive. Since its launch in 2022, it has supported nine projects, brought in nearly $6 million in spending and supported 421 Native hires.
The incentive is available on its own or may be used in conjunction with other incentive programs made available at the city, state and tribal level.
Cherokee Film is owned by Cherokee Nation Businesses and based in the Cherokee Nation Reservation in Oklahoma. The tribe’s film ecosystem includes four distinct branches — Cherokee Film Productions, Cherokee Film Studios, Cherokee Film Commission and Cherokee Film Institute — all working toward a shared goal of innovating narrative sovereignty while creating economic development within the tribe’s reservation.
